Springs council members differ on priorities heading into 2016

In his office Monday afternoon Colorado Springs City Councilman Bill Murray drew up ideas to take to his colleagues.

In addition to a stormwater ballot measure, Murray thinks it’s time to put an open carry ban on the books in the city.

“We’re going to be an Olympic city, an international city, and an international city has a tendency to understand the Wild Wild West is what it was,” Murray said.

Down the hall, council President Pro-Tem Jill Gaebler says gun control shouldn’t be a priority.

“It’s a very emotional response,” Gaebler said. “I think we, as a community, need to be thoughtful about understanding the realities around open carry, and understanding if the cause and effect is really there.”

Gaebler says one of her main focuses will be to figure out ways to make the city more walkable and bike firendly so the millennials who grew up in the city decide to stay.

“Our younger generation, they don’t want to live in Colorado Springs,” Gaebler said. “They don’t consider us hip or trendy and whether that’s important to you or not, it’s relevant if we want to have a viable workforce.

The workforce may have more transportation options as council members looks to finalize a new location for the expansion of the city’s main bus terminal.

City Council’s first session in this upcoming presidential election year will be Jan. 12.